Discover Insights: Take The Athletic’s 2025 College Football TV Survey

College football has always been a staple of American sports culture. Every season, millions of viewers tune in to watch their favorite teams.

But the way people watch college football is changing fast. New technology, shifts in how folks want to watch, and the rise of streaming services are shaking things up.

The New York Times recently published a survey that digs into these changes. It offers some fresh insights into how fans are catching games in 2025.

Let’s poke around the key findings and see what they might mean for college football’s future on TV and beyond.

The Shift Towards Streaming Services

One of the biggest things the survey points out: fans are ditching cable for streaming services in droves. More and more people now choose streaming platforms to catch the action.

Why? A few reasons stand out:

• Convenience: Streaming lets you watch games on your own time, pausing and rewinding as you please.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Streaming platforms usually cost less than cable, which is a relief for folks watching their budgets.
• Access to Exclusive Content: Some streaming services have games and events you just can’t get anywhere else—huge for die-hard fans.

Impact on Traditional Cable Networks

Streaming’s rise has put cable networks in a tough spot. The survey shows cable TV subscriptions among college football fans are dropping.

People complain cable’s too expensive and not flexible enough. Cable networks will need to rethink things if they want to keep their audience.

Demographic Insights

Who’s watching and how? The survey breaks it down by age, gender, and location.

• Age: Younger viewers (18-34) flock to streaming, while older folks (55+) mostly stick with cable.
• Gender: Men still make up most of the audience, but more young women are tuning in these days.
• Geography: City dwellers lean toward streaming, while rural fans are more likely to keep their cable subscriptions.

Engagement and Interactive Features

Fans want more than just a game—they’re after an experience. The survey says people are looking for features like:

• Live Chats: Chatting with other fans during the game in real time.
• Interactive Stats: Digging into stats and player info while watching.
• Social Media Integration: Sharing highlights and hot takes straight to their feeds.

Advertising and Sponsorship Trends

Advertising is shifting too, chasing the fans who’ve moved to streaming. The survey notes that digital ads are now a bigger focus for brands trying to reach college football viewers.

• Targeted Ads: Digital platforms let advertisers zero in on specific groups based on age, interests, and more.
• Interactive Ads: Brands try out ads you can click or engage with, hoping to keep viewers’ attention.
• Sponsored Content: More partnerships and sponsored segments are popping up within streaming services.

Challenges for Advertisers

Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing for advertisers. Ad-blockers and plain old ad fatigue make it tough to get through to viewers.

To get around this, brands are getting creative:

• Native Advertising: Ads that blend in with the game or content, so they don’t stick out like a sore thumb.
• Shorter Ad Formats: Keeping ads brief and punchy to hold people’s attention.
• Exclusive Sponsorships: Teaming up with streaming services for unique, can’t-miss ad spots.

The Future of College Football Broadcasting

Looking ahead, a few trends seem pretty likely to shape how we watch college football:

• Increased Investment in Technology: Broadcasters will probably pour more into cool tech like AR and VR to make watching games even better.
• Personalized Viewing Experiences: We’ll see more options to customize how you watch, so everyone gets their own ideal setup.
• Expansion of Streaming Services: Expect more streaming platforms to jump in, each trying to offer something new or different for college football fans.

Conclusion

The 2025 College Football TV Survey digs into how college football viewership keeps changing. Streaming platforms are gaining traction, and fans aren’t watching the same way they used to.

Demographics are shifting, and advertisers are getting creative with new strategies. How fans, broadcasters, and brands react to all this? That’s anyone’s guess, but it’ll be interesting to watch it all unfold.

If you want to check out the full survey, you’ll find it here.